Archive for the ‘soup’

Now that the weather here in central Texas is (Finally! Hopefully!) beginning to feel like actual Fall, my own thoughts are turning to soup.

I know you can eat this extremely versatile dish all year, but I prefer the cooler months. It’s honestly difficult for me to enjoy a lovely bowl of soup when it’s 100F outside.

This is one of my favorites. It’s quick, simple, easily doubles, freezes well, and is open to variation and adaptation. You can make it vegan, vegetarian, with chicken broth, pureed, or chunky. It’s completely up to you.

In my version, I’ve added kale to the soup. Dark leafy greens are excellent in Potato & Leek Soup. The add a wonderful deep flavor and texture as well as help to stretch the soup a little further (excellent if one is on a budget). Plus, it’s a great way to use leftover greens.

I started adding kale for my Aunt Cathy. She would come to visit me in Austin during the wildflower season in the Spring and I would always fix a meal or two for us. I made this soup during one of her visits and decided to toss some leftover kale in. Cathy was a kale fiend – she loved it. I can’t remember how many bowls she ate, but she certainly enjoyed it. Sadly, she passed away several years ago. So, whenever I make this soup, I think of her.

A few notes:

1. I like to make this soup with waxy as opposed to starchy potatoes. It’s a simple preference. However, if you prefer to make the soup with starchy potatoes (i.e Russet, Yukon Gold), go ahead. I’ve never made this with sweet potatoes, but I’ll bet it’s great.

2. It’s up to you whether you want to peel the potatoes or not.

3. You can puree the soup or not. I generally don’t. I’ll just take my potato masher and mash a few down. While I do enjoy a good pureed soup, I prefer some extra texture for this one.

4. If don’t have or can’t find leeks, you can use one large onion. Just be sure to slice it very thinly.

5. This recipe results in a more stew-like thicker soup. If you want a brothier soup, then add more liquid. Just be sure to adjust the seasonings accordingly.

The Ingredients. Not pictured: vegetable broth, cream.

2 tbsp. olive oil, butter, or a combination of both

2 leeks, cleaned and thinly (1/4″) sliced, white part only

Leeks. They basically look like overgrown scallions. Generally, only the white part is used in cooking. However, you can use the greens as well. I generally save them and use them in stock.

The inside of the leek. As you can see, it’s got layers like any other onion. Unlike onions, leeks tend to get dirt in the layers; so, you want to be sure to wash them thoroughly after you cut them. This one was fairly clean, but you can still see some dirt in the lower right hand corner.

2 lbs. potatoes, cut into roughly 1/2″ – 3/4″ pieces

I chose to use fingerling potatoes this time around. You can use any type you prefer, however.

4 c. vegetable or chicken broth

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried thyme, or to taste

Salt & pepper to taste

From top left: black pepper, salt, olive oil, dried thyme, garlic

1 bunch cooked and chopped kale, optional

Some lovely kale. Just trim off the leaves and use the stalks for compost or stock.

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil or butter. When the oil is heated, add the leeks and garlic and sauté until the leeks have softened, about 5 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently.

Sauteing the leeks & garlic. Stir frequently. You want the vegetables soft, but not browned.

2. Add the potatoes. Cook and stir until the potatoes are coated in the oil, leeks & garlic, and are a little warm, about 5 minutes. This will help the potatoes jump-start cooking as well as absorb some of the flavor of the leeks and garlic.

I didn’t realize some of the potatoes were pink (or, I guess, red) until I cut into them. I wonder what would happen if I threw some purple ones in the soup.

4. Add the broth. Cover the pot and bring the broth to a boil. Uncover, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer the soup until the potatoes are fork-tender; about 30 minutes.

Adding the broth.

The potatoes will absorb the broth, so the volume will go down. This is normal. If you feel the soup is too dry, add more broth. However, this is a fairly thick soup and if you decide to add cream, then you may want to hold off on adding any broth. Otherwise, add more broth and adjust the seasonings accordingly.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the kale (is using).

To trim the kale, simply strip the leaves away from the stalks and wash. Don’t tear the pieces too small – you want them still fairly large as they go into the steamer so there will be less chance of the kale overcooking.

Take a medium saucepan and fill the bottom with about 1/2″ of water. Place a steamer insert in the bottom, put in the kale, and cover the saucepan tightly. Over high heat, steam the kale until it is just wilted and still has some bite to it (you don’t want the leaves too soft); about 3-4 minutes. (Carefully take a small piece out and taste it to be sure it’s ready.)

Steaming the kale.

When the kale is ready, take it out of the steamer (the easiest and probably safest way to do this is to dump everything in to a colander; be sure to drain the kale thoroughly if you use this method), place it on a cutting board, and roughly chop it.

The cooked and chopped kale ready for the soup.

At this point you may ask, why don’t you just throw the raw leaves into the soup? Well, because I find the kale (or whatever green I’m using) tends to impart too strong a flavor into the soup that I don’t necessarily want. Steaming the leaves ahead eliminates that factor. I still get the flavor without it overpowering everything else.

6. So the following two photos are an example of do as I say, not as I do.

When the potatoes are done take the pot off the heat. If you like, either puree the soup (time to pull out that stick/immersion blender you got as a long-ago gift or impulse bought), use a potato masher (as I usually do), or do nothing (another great option).

Once you have achieved the consistency you prefer, add the kale and cream – or whatever it is you’re using – and taste for seasoning.

Adding the kale and cream. I did this step a little backwards.

So, you want to be sure and take care of the consistency before adding the cream and kale.

7. Finally, time to eat. I like to serve the soup with either some stoneground crackers or a good crusty bread.

It’s hard to believe even 15 – 20 years ago most Americans had never even heard of Thai food outside of cities that had a large Asian population. Now, Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Massaman Curry, Green Papaya Salad, and Green Chicken Curry seem to be everywhere.

As much as I like those dishes, and many others, one stands out for me: Thom Yum Gai – Chicken Coconut Soup. The words “thom yum” basically mean “hot and sour soup”. “Gai” is the chicken version of this soup. Other styles of thom yum include – “Pla”: a fish soup eaten with rice; “Kha Mu”: a slower cooked soup made with pork knuckles. There are several other variations of this soup.

This is not only a refreshing soup to eat any time of year, but it’s one on my go-to’s when Husband Steve and I aren’t feeling well. Something about the alchemy of Asian soups in general that just make us feel better.

I like to make my Thom Yum Gai heavily seasoned. So, my soup has a pronounced, but not overbearing flavor, of ginger, lime, and chiles. I wanted to keep the flavor in line with what I’ve eaten at some of my favorite Thai restaurants. Of course, if you want to go lighter, adjust the seasonings as you like.

Besides the taste, the next best thing about this soup is the quickness and ease in which it comes together. From start to finish, less than an hour.

I will say that my inspiration for this recipe comes from James Peterson. His award-nominated book, Splendid Soups, is arguably the best book on soups ever published. While this is my recipe, he was definitely an influence on the direction I took.

A few notes:

1. Kaffir lime leaves are an authentic ingredient in this recipe. However, even with the plethora of Asian markets now in Austin, I still have a very difficult time finding them. So, I now use lime peel. However, if you can find Kaffir leaves, by all means, use them. 4 – 6 leaves, cut into julienne (thin) strips will work well.

2. If you can’t find lemongrass, you can use the peel of 1 lemon. Alternately, if can find it, there is a lemongrass paste that is available in some supermarkets; however, once you open the tube, it must be used within a finite amount of time. If you decide to use the paste, check the measurements on the container to see how much you need. DO NOT use dried lemongrass; all of the oils that give it its flavor will have dissolved leaving you with basically grass clippings.

3. You can peel the ginger or not. I generally don’t. If you do prefer to leave the skin on, be sure to wash the ginger thoroughly.

4. Shiitake mushrooms are really best for this dish. However, if you don’t like or can’t find them, you can use straw mushrooms (you can usually find them canned. Be sure to drain them first). In a pinch, criminis will do.

5. Chicken is the most common way to make this soup. However, you can also make it with shrimp, mixed fish and/or shellfish, pork, or tofu. Just use the same amount as you would the chicken. Be sure to use the corresponding broth as well. I’ve seen some restaurants serve thom yum with beef, but I don’t know how authentic that is or if it’s just to satisfy American palates.

6. By the way, fish sauce is essential to making this dish. There’s really no omitting it.

7. If you are making this dish with tofu and want to make it vegan, here is a recipe for vegan fish sauce.

8. If you can’t find Thai (also known as bird) chiles, you can substitute 3 – 4 serrano chiles. If you don’t want that much heat, be sure to remove the seeds and membranes. You can also cut back on the number of chiles.

9. To help stretch the soup and/or help mitigate the heat, you can serve some Jasmin rice alongside the soup. Alternately, have some cooked rice noodles in the bottom of the serving bowl and pour the soup on top. Just have the noodles or rice on the side, not in the actual soup pot.

10. Even though leaving all of the seasonings in the soup is more authentic, if you want to, after the soup has cooked, you can strain the broth, pick the chicken and mushrooms out of the seasonings. and place them back into the broth before serving. This is especially helpful if all you really want to do is drink the broth from a mug.

(I know you’re asking the question – “Why not strain the broth before you add the mushrooms and chicken?” Because, the longer the seasonings cook in the broth, the more flavor you will have. Besides, it’s not really that much extra work.)

11. If you do decide to go full authentic, serve the soup with a pair of chopsticks and a small bowl on the side so your guests can place their pieces of lemongrass, ginger, etc., aside as they eat.

I am now going to introduce you to two more dishes from the Middle East – one from my childhood and one I discovered more recently. Lentil Soup and Artichokes with Coriander.

Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas) is a very popular dish during Ramadan. Soup is a traditional way to break the fast and the heartiness of this soup is perfect for that. Some people will put cooked ground beef or lamb in the soup, others balls of Kefta (basically, ground meat with onion, parsley, and spices). Some will also use dried bread and puree it into the soup to thicken it. Sliced radishes are also a popular addition.

The Artichokes with Coriander (Ard al-shokeh ma’kuzbara) is a more recent discovery for me. It’s a dish popular in Jericho in the early summer when artichokes are in season. Here, I’ve used frozen artichokes. This way, I can eat this dish at any time of year. Mainly, though, because I really don’t like to clean artichokes.

A few notes:

1. The soup is really best with the red lentils. They have a lighter, slightly sweeter flavor that’s best for the soup. They’re much more readily available than they used to be.

2. Be sure to wash the lentils. They’re generally dusty when they’re packed. While processing methods have become better, sometimes, especially if they’re from a bulk bin, they may also have small rocks or dirt. So, be sure to check them carefully.

3. As with most soups, this is even better the next day and freezes well. When you reheat the soup, be sure to add a little broth or water because it thickens up as it sits.

4. If you want a smoother soup, then you can puree it. However, I prefer a little texture in the soup.

5. You can easily make the soup vegan by using either vegetable broth or water.

6. Don’t use marinated artichokes packed in olive oil. Be sure, especially with canned or jarred ones, that they are packed in water. Or, if you’re using frozen, they’re unseasoned.

7. If you don’t like cilantro (coriander), you can use parsley. It obviously won’t taste the same, but it will work.

The ingredients

The lentils. Red lentils work best in this soup. They’re much more readily available than in the past.

From the top: salt, pepper, olive oil, flour, cumin

Lentil Soup

1 1/2 c. red lentils, washed and drained

4 c. broth (chicken, beef, lamb, vegetable) or water

1 med. onion, minced

3 cl. garlic, minced

1 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

1 tsp. cumin

2 tbsp. olive oil

Juice of one lemon, or to taste

1. In a large saucepan, place the onion, garlic, lentils, and broth or water.

Lentils, onion, and garlic in the saucepan awaiting the broth.

Cover and bring to a boil. Keep the saucepan covered, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

The boiling pot.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, cumin, and olive oil.

The oil, flour, and spices mixed together. It smells lovely.

Add the mixture to the lentils after the first 45 minutes of cooking.

The soup after the first 45 minutes of cooking time. Sorry, the lentils don’t stay red. They turn to a dull gold-yellow.

After adding the oil-spice mixture.

After you add the oil & spices, cook for another 15 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally.

3. Add the lemon juice and cook another 5 minutes.

My old-style lemon reamer. One of my favorite things I received from my mother-in-law.

Taste for seasoning. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil over the top and some extra lemon on the side.

The finished soup. Perfect.

The ingredients

Salt, pepper, olive oil

The artichokes. I used frozen ones in this recipe. If you do get jarred or canned, be sure they aren’t marinated & flavored ones.

Artichokes with Coriander

2 lb. artichoke hearts (2 bags frozen-thawed or 6 cans drained)

4 tbsp. olive oil

3 cl. garlic, minced

1/2 c. coriander (cilantro), chopped

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

1/4 c. lemon juice, or to taste

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 – 2 minutes.

Cooking the garlic.

Add the artichokes hearts and cook another 5 minutes.

Adding the artichokes. Be sure to continue stirring frequently to keep the garlic from burning.

Soup has been around probably as long as people have been eating. It’s cheap, filling, restorative, and democratic.

Onion soups have been popular at least as far back as Roman times. They were, throughout history, seen as food for poor people, since onions were plentiful, easy to grow, and considered a restorative food.

The modern version of Onion Soup originates in France in the 18th C., made from softened onions and, traditionally, beef broth. Onion soups are likewise found in early English cookbooks and American cookbooks from colonial days to present.It is often finished by being placed under a grill in a ramekin with croutons and Gruyère melted on top. The crouton on top is reminiscent of using bread as “sops”.

Here are a couple of examples of early written Onion Soup recipes:

[1651: France]
“Potage of onion.
Cut your onions into very thin slices, fry them with butter, and after they are fried put them into a pot with water or with pease broth. After they are well sod, put in it a crust of bread and let it boile a very little; you may put some capers in it. Dry your bread then stove it; take up, and serve with one drop of vinegar.”
—The French Cook, Francois Pierre La Varenne, [1651] Englished by I.D.G. 1653, Introduced by Philip and Mary Hyman [Southover Press:East Sussex] 2001 (p. 130)

[1869: France]
“Onion Soup.
Peel 2 good-sized onions (say 7 oz.), cut them, in halves and then crosswise, in thin shreds:
Blanch, in boiling water, for five minutes, to remove their acrid flavour;
Put in a 6-inch stewpan, with 1 1/2 oz. of butter;
Stir over a brisk fire, and, when the onion becomes of a light brown colour, add a tablespoonful of flour, say 1 oz.;
Keep on the fire for two minutes longer;
Add: 1 quart of water; 2 pinches of salt; and 2 small ones of pepper;
Stir till boiling;
Simmer, for five minutes, on the stove corner; taste the seasoning;
Put in the soup-tureen 2 ox. of sliced dried roll, and 1 oz. of butter; our in the soup, stirring gently with a spoon to dissolve.
Serve.”
—The Royal Cookery Book (Le Livre de Cuisine) , Jules Gouffe, translated from the French and adapted for English Use by Alphonse Gouffe [Sampson Low, Son, and Marston:London] 1869 (p. 38-9)

(sources: www.wikipedia.org, www.foodtimeline.org)

************************************************************************************************************************* A few notes:

For myself, I like a lot of onions in my soup; almost stew-like. If you prefer a brothier soup, either reduce the amount of onions or increase the broth.

Because onions do sweeten as they cook down, I don’t recommend using sweet onions like 1015’s, Vidalias, or Mauis. They will make the soup too sweet. Regular yellow onions are just fine. Plus, they’re cheaper.

This soup is traditionally made with beef broth. However, you can use chicken or turkey broth if you want a lighter soup. Or, use vegetable broth to make this vegetarian (or vegan if you omit the Gruyère or use soy cheese).

The best bread to use with this soup is a good crusty European-style bread like a baguette, ciabatta, pain au levain, etc. These will hold up quite well if you decide to make the soup a gratin.

The Ingredients

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

5 lbs. onions, sliced about 1/4″ thick

4 cl. garlic, minced

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 c. dry white wine or unsweetened apple cider (optional)

4 c. beef broth or vegetable broth

Salt & Pepper to taste

Toasted bread or your favorite crackers

Shredded Gruyère, Emmenthal, or Swiss cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a stockpot or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and the 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt (these will help release the water from the onions and make them wilt more quickly).

The onions. I was quite weepy when I finished slicing.

Stir until the onions begin to heat through, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover and begin wilting the onions.

Covering the onions. This steams the onions and helps them to wilt more quickly at the beginning of the cooking process.

2. After the first 30 minutes (stirring after each 15 minutes), uncover the onions (there will be a lot of liquid; it will cook down), add the thyme, and continue cooking until the onions are cooked down as much as you prefer, stirring every 15 minutes. (If you are cooking your onions until they become very soft, you will want to stir them more often as they soften so they don’t begin to burn.)

After 15 minutes. The onions have begun to soften and release their liquid.

After 30 minutes. More wilted and more liquid.

Adding the thyme.

At 45 minutes. I generally cook them further down than this. However, at this point, it’s up to you how much further you’d like to go.

At 1 hour. This is usually where I’ll stop. I don’t necessarily want the onions caramelized, just very soft and sweet.

You want your onions to be soft, but not necessarily caramelized.

3. Once the onions are cooked to your preference, increase the temperature to medium-high, add the white wine or apple cider (if using) and cook until the wine has evaporated.

Adding the wine. Let this cook down until most of it has evaporated.If you don’t want to use wine, use unsweetened apple cider.Or, omit this step all together.

4. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Adding the broth. You can also use chicken or vegetable broths.

5. If you want to do the more traditional serving method, here it goes: Turn on your oven to broil and place the rack in the top position. Ladle the soup into oven-proof bowls (the best bowls are ones that have handles; you can buy these at any restaurant supply – if you don’t have bowls with handles, place them on a baking sheet), place a piece of the toasted bread in the center and sprinkle on a healthy amount of the cheese. Place the bowls under the broiler for just a minute or two so until the cheese melts and gets brown and bubbly. Carefully remove the bowls from the oven and serve.

If you don’t want to go that route, simply serve the soup with the bread and cheese on the side.

The best breads to use are crusty, day-old, European-style. This is one I made a couple of days before.

Grated Gruyere. You can also use Emmenthal or Swiss cheeses as well. I’m not sure why these became the most common cheeses for Onion Soup, but they are perfect.

I prefer to serve my soup this way. Bread on the side with the cheese on top of the soup. I find it easier to eat and a whole lot less mess to clean up. Of course, if you prefer the more traditonal gratin method, go for it.

Most of us know this dish as basically cheese on toast. Not a bad thing.

It’s actually a dish that was born of poverty in 18th Century Wales. At that time, only the wealthiest could afford meat. Cheese was the “meat” of the poor. Over time, “Rarebit” became the bastardization of “rabbit”.

Most recipes that I’ve found contain some sort of alcohol, generally ale. However, I wanted a recipe that didn’t have any alcohol. And, I finally came across one written by Jennifer Paterson of “Two Fat Ladies” fame. It is different than traditional Rarebit, which is generally a cheese sauce, in that this recipe is more of a souffle-style.

This won’t behave like what most would think of as a souffle. It certainly doesn’t rise like one. The souffle-style comes from the base (cheese and egg yolks) folded into beaten egg whites which makes the topping a souffle effect.

The tomato soup is just a natural paring.

Tomato soup goes with just about everything.

Welsh Rarebit mixed with tomato soup or tomatoes is known as “Blushing Bunny”. Huh.

Now. To the recipes.

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Now, of course, with either of these recipes, you can serve them separately with a simple salad to make a nice lunch or a light dinner. Together, they make a rather hearty end-of-day vegetarian supper.

For the Rarebit, if you want to use other cheeses or all of one or the other, go ahead. However, cheddar is the most traditional. Be sure to use a sharp cheddar. Once you add the egg whites, it will neutralize the flavor of the cheese mixture, so you want a stong-tasting cheese. Longhorn cheddar won’t do.

With summer coming up, fresh tomatoes will be abundant. If you want to use your fresh home-grown tomatoes, by all means, do. Use the equivalent amount to fresh tomatoes. Depending on how “rustic” you like your soup, you can peel and seed your fresh tomatoes before using them in the soup if you prefer. It’s up to you.

As for canned, I use Muir Glen Fire Roasted. If you want to use your fresh tomatoes but would like the roasted flavor, you can either roast your tomatoes on the grill or slow-roast in your oven.

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the onions and garlic until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Sauteing the onions and garlic.

2. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and cook another minute.

3. Add the tomato paste and, stirring frequently, cook until the tomato paste begins to take on a rust-colored appearance (this indicates the sugars in the tomato paste are caramelizing).

Cooking the tomato paste. The paste is beginning to turn a burnt orange color.

4. Add the tomatoes, rosemary, vinegar, broth, sugar, salt & pepper. Stir until the soup is well mixed. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the soup has come to a boil, uncover, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

After adding the tomatoes, broth, rosemary, vinegar, and spices

Bringing the soup to a boil.

5. After the first 30 minutes of cooking, remove the soup from the heat and remove the rosemary stem. Let the soup cool slightly.

After 30 minutes of cooking.

6. With either a stand blender (in batches) or a stick blender, puree the soup. Make it as smooth or as texture as you like. If you want a super-smooth soup, then pour the pureed soup through a strainer. Taste for seasoning.

Pureeing the soup with a stick blender. (I find the stick blender easier and it uses fewer dishes.)

7. Put the soup back on the stove to reheat over medium heat and just bring back to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the basil. Set the soup aside and let the basil “steep”.

When my husband, Steve, was a vegetarian, I had to come up with all sorts of variations on my favorite dishes to accommodate his dietary needs. (He has since come back to the dark side.) Since one of my favorites has always been Posole, I wanted to come up with a variation that we would both enjoy. (For more on posole, see my Feb. 28, 2012 post “Posole (…or Pozole)”.)

Traditional posole is always made with meat. Usually pork. However, my recipe is a quick, easy, and most importantly, tasty recipe that will make vegetarian and non-vegetarians alike very happy. And full.

Now, to the recipe.

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Notes:

a) I realize I’m wandering dangerously close into Sandra Lee territory with all the canned ingredients. But, trust me, they work in this dish. However, if you’d like to use all fresh, be my guest.

b) If you omit the cheese as a garnish and cook the hominy from dried, you can make this dish vegan. If you’d like to add some protein, use chicken broth and add some cooked chicken at the end.

In the final throws of winter in Central Texas, my mind continues to turn to heartier fare. Sometimes, beans sound delicious.

Admittedly, beans are not a food I eat often. I do like them, but it’s not a food that immediately springs to mind when I’m deciding what to make for dinner. They should, though. Beans are almost the perfect food. They have high amounts of fiber and soluble fiber. (One cup of cooked beans providing between nine and 13 grams of fiber.) Soluble fiber can help lower blood cholesterol. Beans are also high in protein, complex carbohydrates, folate, and iron.

Beans are one of the longest-cultivated plants. Broad beans (fava beans) were gathered in Afghanistan and the Himalayan foothills. They’ve been grown in Thailand since the early seventh millennium BCE. They were buried with the dead in ancient Egypt. In the second millennium BC did cultivated, large-seeded broad beans appear in the Aegean, Iberia and transalpine Europe. In the Iliad (late-8th century) is a passing mention of beans and chickpeas cast on the threshing floor.

Beans were an important source of protein throughout Old and New World history, and still are today.

The oldest-known domesticated beans in the Americas were found in Guitarrero Cave, an archaeological site in Peru, and dated to around the second millennium BCE.

Most of the kinds commonly eaten fresh or dried, those of the genus Phaseolus, come originally from the Americas, being first seen by a European when Christopher Columbus, during his exploration, of what may have been the Bahamas, found them growing in fields. Five kinds of Phaseolus beans were domesticated by pre-Columbian peoples: common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) grown from Chile to the northern part of what is now the United States, and lima and sieva beans (Phaseolus lunatus), as well as the less widely distributed teparies (Phaseolus acutifolius), scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) and polyanthus beans (Phaseolus polyanthus). One especially famous use of beans by pre-Columbian people as far north as the Atlantic seaboard is the “Three Sisters” method of companion plant cultivation:

In the New World, many tribes would grow beans together with maize (corn), and squash. The corn would not be planted in rows as is done by European agriculture, but in a checkerboard/hex fashion across a field, in separate patches of one to six stalks each.

Beans would be planted around the base of the developing stalks, and would vine their way up as the stalks grew. All American beans at that time were vine plants, “bush beans” having been bred only more recently. The cornstalks would work as a trellis for the beans, and the beans would provide much-needed nitrogen for the corn.

Squash would be planted in the spaces between the patches of corn in the field. They would be provided slight shelter from the sun by the corn, would shade the soil and reduce evaporation, and would deter many animals from attacking the corn and beans because their coarse, hairy vines and broad, stiff leaves are difficult or uncomfortable for animals such as deer and raccoons to walk through, crows to land on, etc.

Dry beans come from both Old World varieties of broad beans (fava beans) and New World varieties (kidney, black, cranberry, pinto, navy/haricot).

Beans are a heliotropic plant, meaning that the leaves tilt throughout the day to face the sun. At nighttime, they go into a folded “sleep” position.

(Information from www.wikipedia.org)

The bean varieties I eat most often are pinto and black. Hell, I’m in Texas. It’s almost a requirement. I’ve also enjoyed garbanzo, fava, navy, red kidney, and, my personal favorite, cannellini.

I’m not sure what it is about cannellini beans that I enjoy so much. Perhaps it’s the slight sweetness to them. They’re also very versatile. Like pretty much all beans.

Now, to the recipe.

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The recipe is presented as vegetarian. I generally keep it that way. However, if you would like to make the recipe vegan, cook the beans from dried and omit the Parmesan rinds. If you would like to add some meat to the recipe, a little leftover chicken or diced pork would work well.

I do used canned beans in this recipe. Beans are a foodstuff that cans well. It’s also quick, convenient, and cheap.

This is most definitely a dish one can make after a day at work. It also freezes well.

As for the Parmesan rinds: if you have a good cheese section in your grocery store or a specialty cheese shop that cuts Parmesan down from the wheel, ask them to save you some of the rinds. Sometimes you’ll be charged a nominal amount, sometimes you’ll get them for free. Keep them in the freezer. They add a lot of flavor ro many soups and stews without imparting too much extra fat or cheese.

The Ingredients

The classic mirepoix. Equal parts carrot, onion, and celery.

2 cans cannellini beans, drained

1 med. carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 c. yellow onion, minced

4 cl. garlic, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 c. vegetable broth

1 tsp. dried sage

1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper, or to taste

Approx. 3 – 4 oz. Parmesan rinds (If they are large enough, you can leave them loose in the soup while cooking. Otherwise, wrap them in a cheesecloth for easy removal after cooking.)

Extra olive oil for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables (the mirepoix) and the garlic and saute until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Sauteing the vegetables and garlic.

2. Add the beans, sage, salt & pepper. Saute another 2 – 3 minutes.

Adding the beans, sage, salt & pepper.

3. Add the broth and rinds. Bring the broth to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 30 – 45 minutes, or until the soup begins to thicken. Stir occasionally to be sure the rinds don’t stick to the bottom.

Adding the broth and the rinds.

4. When the soup is done, taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking. Remove as many of the rinds as you can before or as you serve. (The rinds are basically inedible.) Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the soup if you like.

The finished soup.

I like to have a good hearty country-style bread to serve with the soup.